St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-16
The PRESBYT ERlAhs.
Doings of the Synod at Saltwater
Yesterday.
DR.. VESTS CASE BOBS UP
But the Synod Refuses to Decide His
Way---He Appeals to the Gen.
eral Assembly.

opened at the usual hour, DR.. Il. j.
Davis, of Mankato, leading the devo-
tional exercises. Rev. d. q. Marquis,
of the synod of Missouri, was invited
to sit as corresponding member. a
committee of three, composed of ReyS.
r. j. Cresswell, G. L. Burnley and E.
V. Campbell, was appointed by the
moderator on freedmen's affairs. Rev.
DR.. McCurdy, of McAlester, and Rev.
DR.. Abbott, of Albert Lea college, made
short addresses regarding their respee-
tive institutions. The committee on
publication then made report, stating
that the Presbytery of st. Paul was the
only one of the four composing the
synod which had reported to them their
action toward the support of the pub
fishing board. They recommended the
Lesson Helper and papers published by
the board, and urged that they be
adopted by all Presbyterian Sabbath
schools in the synod. .
DR.. Marquis, Of Missouri, then adj
dressed the synod on behalf of the cen
tennial committee of the General as
sembly on ministerial relief.
At the close of his address the synod
voted to have the pastors preach a CEN
tennial sermon during the coming year,
commemorative of the establishment
of Presbyterianism in the United States,
and to take collection at that time for
the centennial ministerial relief fund.
the coming May. The report of the ju-
dicial committee was then presented.
The case of DR.. Nathaniel West,
formerly pastor Of the First Presbyte-
rian Church of st. Paul, against the st.
Paul preSbytery, was then taken up. In
appealing to the synod from the action
of that body, DR.. West filed a bill of
specifications, thirteen in number,
which were read by the clerk and placed
before the synod. They charge, in sub
stance that he was unlawfully deposed
by the preSbytery from his position
as pastor against the wishes and
desires of the church over which
he had been regularly installed,
to save the trustees who had attacked
him and who had brought about the
trouble; that when the aid of the Pres
bytery was first invoked in the matter
that body appointed committee of nine
members of their body, who, after a
long and patient hearing, had made a
report in favor of sustaining the pastor,
which report was adopted by the Pres
bytery; that rehearing was after
ward granted on the application of the
trustees of the church and that upon
such rehearing the Presbytery had de-
posed the pastor. The specifications
further allege that the rehearing and
subsequent action of the Presbytery
was i'll violation of church law and that
the final decision of the Presbytery was,
destructive to the church; that it was
criminal violation of the good faith re-
port of the committee which was in
tended to remove existing evils in the
church; that it was diSgraceful sur
render OF government, order and diSci-
pine into the hands Of men who had
openly defied the committee and who
had already unlawfully excluded the
pastor, chnrch and congregation from
their house of worship; that the motion
for rehearing was made by parties
having no right to move the PreSbytery
and that the matter was forced through
that body under the influence of pre-
concerted combination and in connec-.
ton with the graveSt moral and ecclesi-
astical OtfenSeS and indictable crime, to-
wit: Fraud, falSehOOd, false swearing,
deception, preyarication and published
defamation of the pastor; that the de-
elslon was made in utter disregard of
the pastors appeal and his request for
an investigation Of the charges made
against him.
The report of the judicial committee
OF the synod, which had been pre-
viOuSly laid before that body, was ac-
cepted and adopted by the synod, after
an animated discussion, participated in
by committee from the st. Paul Pres
bytery selected by that body and COM
posed Of S. j. r. Mcmillan and w. B.
Dean, of st. Paul, and d. l.. Kiehle and
Rev. DR.. Cambell, of Minneapolis, rep
1l,fr moi -,
appeared in his own behalf. The report
of the judicial committee States,
in substance, that in its judg-
ment the question was not
judicial one and that no appeal would
therefore lie from the Presbytery of st.
Paul to the synod and that DR.. West
had no standing in court. The contro-
yerSy, which was very animated, lasted
all through the afternoon to the eXclu-
sion OF all other matters, and when a
final vote was had it resulted in a vote
of fourteen for the adoption of the COM
mittee'S report and six against. DR..
West Immediately gave notice of appeal
to the general assembly.
The following appointments from
among the visiting clergymen were
made for st. Paul, Minneapolis and
Saltwater pulpits for to-day: Good
rich avenue Presbyterian church, morll-
ing and evening, Rev. j. P. Wilmington,
st. CroiX Falls, Wis; Dayton Avenue
Presbyterian church, morning and eve
ming service, Rev. r. J. Thompson, Wi
mona. Minneapolis-FirSt Presbyterian
church, morning and evening,
Rev. Charles A. Smith, of Rochester.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. church, 1920
a. M, Rev. George G. Pollock, the mod
orator, will deliver the discourse. In
the evening the subject cause of Home
Missions will be taken up and dwelt
upon by Rev. William G. Roberts, DID,,
president of Lake Forest university,
Chicago; Rev. J. C. Whitney. Mrs. b.
e. Walker and others. At the First
Baptist church, at 1920 a. m, Rev. G
G.: Reynolds will occupy the pulpit,
while in the evening ReK w. W. Mix
will preach. At the Grace Congrega-
tional church Rev. A. w. Ringland will
hold services in the morning. At 8 d.
m. the administration of the holy sacra-
ment takes place at the church, and will
be conducted by Revs. S. III. Murphy, of
Chatfeld, and DR.. Rice, of Manchester,
assisted by Elders E. J. Davis, E. Fl.
Abbott, E. Long and H. M. Crandall.
QAt the meeting in the interest of
Home missions in the evening, at the
church, many speakers from the dele
9"eNto piCoCit, Will iudhC ItiIidIhS. dllu
excellent singing has been provided for
the occasion.
The exercises of the evening were
under the direction of S. J. 4. Mcmillan,
assisted by Revs. Thayer and Caldwell,
pioneer members ofthe synod. A short
address was first presented by Rev. DIR.
J. A. Warden, secretary of the Sabbath
School board. This was followed by
sketch of the history of the synod by
Dr.. Riheldaffer, Of Redwood Falls, the
synodical historian, which consumed
the balance of the time of the session.
At the request of the moderator, Rev.
DR.. Roberts, of Lake Forest university,
Illinois, will preach at 10:3O a. H., at
the Presbyterian church.